 THE TOP 9 REASONS THE CHURCH IS DECLINING
1. Gen X has withdrawn because church services are boring. 2. Churches are not valuable because they are not doing anything for the world and for people that can't be done better outside the church. 3. Conservative churches, especially nationalistic ones, have distorted Christianity. 4. Sexual malpractice and worse (as well as cover-ups) by clergy have driven people away. 5. The church's unrenounced history of suppression of minorities has exposed the church's hypocrisy. 6. The church continues to reject many spiritual practices that people have found valuable. 7. The church is no longer a social space where people expect to intersect with those who they think it might be important to know. 8. The central narratives, including those in the Bible, have lost relevance and no longer seem "all that important" to have children learn. 9. Being a church member is no longer central to one's identity. THE CHURCH DOESN'T MATTER enough to retain as many people as it used to do.
1 Comment
Don
10/7/2022 08:07:39 pm
After returning to Lowell I sought out a ‘progressive’ UCC church that had a Lao church housed there. I became treasurer for three terms (3 years). It was endowed w $14 million and conducted a $2.2 million building renovation and we added a foundation grant of $700K to fix the organ. During that time we explored just peace engagement, effectively lost d/t Covid, loss of the pastors who kept it as a priority. I created a proposal for housing justice, the top concern of the church’s immediate community. If approved we would have acquired 3 homes near the church worth 1.6 million. This would provide guest, transitional and affordable housing in the midst of the current housing crisis. It would also create intentional community and improve spiritual resources and a parsonage. Yet the council was composed of suburban former Catholics who in the end vote 10-2 against this. I resigned and left as a result. I feel it expresses best who they see themselves to be. It’s ok. Leave a Reply. |
AuthorRev. Dr. Kenneth Dobson posts his weekly reflections on this blog. Archives
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